Principals shape the daily experiences of teachers, students and families. They guide teaching, support staff, build trust with parents and create environments where students can thrive. Their leadership matters.
This report examines who valued principals are, where they work, what they do and how they can be supported. Its purpose is practical: to help education systems remove barriers and direct support where it is most needed.
Since 2008, the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) has amplified teachers’ and principals’ voices, offering insights into life in classrooms and schools. In 2024, 280 000 teachers across 55 education systems shared their views on the leadership of 17 000 principals. Principals themselves described their practices, working conditions, professional development and school organisation.
The findings invite a closer look at who leads our schools. Younger principals are more likely to be perceived as strong instructional and relational leaders, yet principals tend to be older in urban and larger schools.
Leadership practices also merit attention. Principals valued by their teachers tend to use school- and classroom-based results in formal teacher appraisal, although this practice became less common between 2018 and 2024.
Working conditions offer clear opportunities for support. Between 2018 and 2024, the share of principals reporting material resource shortages fell and satisfaction with pay rose in many systems. However, excessive administrative work remains principals’ most frequently reported source of stress.
By turning teachers’ and principals’ voices into evidence, TALIS helps education systems see where change is needed. This report points to opportunities to act. Supporting principals is not an end in itself: it is an investment in the schools they lead and the communities they serve.